Fluid lift pump



1936- J. H. GLEASON 2,050,526

FLUID LIFT PUMP Filed Sept. 26, 1935 Patented Aug. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid lift pump.

An object of the invention is to provide a pump of the character described designed for the purpose of elevating fluid from deep wells such as oil wells and wherein air'or similar fluid, under pressure, may be utilized as an operating fluid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump of the character described embodying an eduction tube, a cylinder frgm which the tube leads and a plunger therein with means for applying the operating fluid to elevate the plunger to discharge the contents of the cylinder into the eduction tube and means for admitting the well liquid into the cylinder above the plunger to cause the downward movement of the plunger.

Means are also provided for bypassing the operating fluid into the column of liquid being elevated to assist in the elevation thereof.

The invention also comprehends means for intermittently applying the operating fluid to and relieving the same from the plunger in the cylinder.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross sectional view of the control valve shown in position to apply the operating fluid to the plunger, and

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view thereof in relief position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a cylinder adapted to be located in a well and whose lower end is closed preferably by means of the plug 2, having the upstanding stop 3. In the cylinder there is the floating plunger 4.

Attached to the upper end of the cylinder there is a head 5 and the lower end of the eduction tube 6 is screwed into this head and has the annular valve seat I screwed into the lower end thereof and which is controlled by the upwardly opening ball valve 8.

The head has a plurality of valve chambers 9 spaced apart therearound and whose lower ends have the annular valve seats therein which are controlled by the upwardly opening ball valves I I confined within said chambers. These chambers communicate with the upper end of the cylinder, lligneafli the seat I, through the respective ducts Fastened to the upper end of the eduction tube 8 there is a tubing head l3 and leading out from this head l3 there is a delivery line I4 through which the pumped fluid may be delivered to its destination.

There is a fluid pressure line l5 which extends down through the head I3 and the eduction tube 6 and which is surrounded by a stufllng box l6 carried by the tubing head. This pressure line is turned outwardly through the wall of the educ tion tube and its lower end enters the cylinder beneath the plunger 4.

Incorporated into the pressure line i 5 there is a three-way valve mechanism H as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The pressure line l5 leads from a suitable source of fluid pressure, not shown.

When the valve I8 is turned. into one position it will admit the operating fluid to the pressure line l5 as shown in Figure 3 and when turned into another position it will communicate the pressure line IS with the free atmosphere as shown in When the operating fluid is admitted to the line l5, as illustrated in Figure 3, it will enter "the cylinder l beneath the plunger 4 and the plunger will be driven upwardly, discharging the liquid in the cylinder above it past the valve 8 and into the eduction tube 6.

There is a bypass line l9 whose upper end is connected into the eduction tube 6 and whose lower end is connected into the cylinder I at a point such thatsaid last mentioned end will be closed by the plunger 4 when the plunger is in its lower position, but will be cleared by said plunger when the plunger is in its upper position.

When the plunger clears the lower end of the bypass line is the operating fluid will be relieved from the cylinder I into the eduction tube 6 and will assist in elevating the fluid in said tube. Thereupon the valve I8 will be actuated into the position shown in Figure 4, cutting off the operating fluid from the plunger 4 and the liquid into which the pump is submerged will then enter through the seats l0, lifting the valves H and.

passing into the cylinder I through the ducts I 2 and thereupon the plunger 4 will descend to its original or lower position andin readiness for a repetition of the cycle. Thereupon the valve i 8 will be actuated to the position shown in Figure 3 and the operating fluid again admitted as before.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form oithe invention by way or illustration only, while the broad principle 01' the invention will be deflned by the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A fluid liitpump for wells comprising cylinder, an eduction tube leading from the cylinder out .01 the well, a floating plunger in the cylinder closed against passage of liquid upwardly or downwardly therethrough, means for controlling the admission of well liquid into the cylinder above the plunger, a pressure line entering the cylinder beneath the plunger through which an operating fluid may be introduced, under pressure, into the cylinder beneath the plunger to elevate the plunger to drive the liquid in the cylinder into the eduction tube, valve means for preventing the back-flow of such liquid, a single by-pass line whose upper end is connected into the eduction tube and whose lower end is connected into the cylinder, the plunger being arranged to close the by-pass line when the plunger is in its lower position and to open the by-pass line when the plunger is in its upper position, and means for controlling the application of the operating fluid to the plunger.

2. A fluid liit pump comprising a cylinder adapted to be submerged in the liquid to be pumped in a well, closure means for the lower end of the cylinder having a reduced upstanding stop, a floating plunger fltted closely in the cylinder. said stop spacing the lower end of the plunger from the lower end of the cylinder when the plunger is in its lower position, a head attached to the upper end of the cylinder, an eduction tube attached to the head and leadingto the ground surface and whose lower end has an annular valve seat therein and an upwardly opening valve controlling the seat, said head having a plurality oivalve chambers spaced apart there'- around whose lower ends have inlet valve seats and upwardly opening valves in the chambers controlling said seats, said chambers communieating with the upper end of the cylinder beneath the seat in the eduction tube, a pressure line connected into the cylinder beneath the plunger whereby an operating fluid may be delivered under pressure into the cylinder to actuate the plunger upwardly, a bypass line whose upper end is connected into the eduction tube and whose lower end is connected into the cylinder at a point such that said last mentioned end will be closed by the plunger when the plunger 15 cylinder, an eduction tube leading from the cylinder out of the well, a floating plunger in the cylinder closed against passage of liquid upwardly or downwardly therethrough, means for controlling the admission of well liquid into the cylinder above the plunger, a pressure line entering the cylinder beneath the plunger through which an operating fluid may be introduced under pressure into the cylinder beneath the plunger to elevate the plunger to drive the liquid in the cylinder into the eduction tube, means for preventing the back flow of liquid from said eduction tube, a bypass line whose upper end is connected into the eduction tube and whose lower end is connected into the cylinder, the plunger being of a length to close the bypass line when the plunger is in its lower position and'to open the bypass line when the plunger is in its upper position, and means for controlling the application of the operating fluid to, and for relieving the same from, the plunger.

JOE H. GLEASON. 

